Printers' Ink Discovers Modern Merchandising Among Lumbermen

By lack Dionne

Printers' Ink is the great national magazine covering advertising and selling-particularly publicity matters. Its weekly issues are devoted to reports on matters of interest to merchants and advertising people'the nation over.

Printers' Ink has just discovered, and given fine publicity to, the fact that some of the retail lumber men of the country are beginning to merchandise their materials.

Of course, the lumber journals have known that fact for a long time, but it is a good thing for those outside the lumber industry to discover it, for from time immemorial the lumber business has been held up to the gaze of the business world because of its utter lack of merchandising developmenl

A special writer for Printers' Ink has recently visited a line of Building Stores in the Minneapolis district that have gone strongly into the merchandising game, and he found their methods so interesting that he wrote a very live story on the subject.

He remarks that-"the lumber dealer, once perhaps the least efficient of all retailers, is now fast becoming a merchant," and goes on to tell in just what manner this firm he visited has taken up moderrl methods.

Such publicity is good for the retail lumber business. It is a medicine that the industry sorely needs. Throughout the country today can be found lumber merchants who have recognized the bigness of their business, their stewardship to the public, their possibilities for civic building and betterment when their business is properly appreciated. The public needs, desires, and approves such service. The building publio EVERYWHERE is entitled to modern building service. It makes for better building, more and better homes, better towns, and better citizenship.

The day of the wood yard is gone-yet thousands of wood yards hang on, depriving the public of better things, yet demanding a livelihood.

The right to live should depend entirely upon the service rendered-the fulfillment of obligations. The right of a dealer to exist in a town should depend on the sort of a deal that merchant gives that town The measure should be taken from the viewpoint of the consumer, and not of the dealer.

"Get up, get busy, or get out" is the business slogan in most other lines. It should be in the lumber businpss. The day of the wood yard man is gone. If all the American public could read the article referred to in Printe.rs' Ink, the public would be given to understand to what they are entitled in the way of building service, and the departure or enlivenment of the wood yard man, would be rapidly accelerated.